It was bound to happen and it did. Someone, who knows more about growing perennials than I do, challenged my watering theories.

This all started when I drew the assignment of watering her plants while she was on vacation. Immediately I asked for a list of plants in her collection that were high water users.

I thought I had done my duty, but just before she left she told me that perennials need a lot more water than you think they do to be really happy. My response was to ask if there were additions to the original 'need water' list. There were a few.

Then I asked if there were any plants that were infrequently or never watered? That, too, produced a rather impressive list. Now that I am a week into my assignment I have made slight modifications to each list.

The point is that plants have very different water needs regardless of the weather. The varying weather conditions just complicate the issue. The key to successful growing is knowing how to use water.

I fear that many of us water because the sun just came up, or the sun is about to set or maybe because we saw the neighbor do it or even to prove that we are affluent enough to own a water hose. If you aren't watering based on observed plant needs you are watering too much.

This reminds me of the old wag about the gentleman who was amazed at the invention of the thermos bottle. He knew that it kept hot things hot and cold things cold. He just couldn't figure out how it knew which was which.

You will move to a new level of success in your garden when you and your garden hose know which plants are which when it comes to water needs. Until then you are probably watering too much.

The above tale is about plants in containers which, as we all know, have radically different needs than plants in the garden. In my perennial garden I never water beyond establishment.

However, I am building a short list of perennials that I am sure would perform better if they got supplemental water when needed. Right now that list includes garden phlox and bee balm for mildew control, astilbe and the re-blooming daylilies.